Research Bio Container

Research

Research Interest:

Our fundamental research is directed at understanding a family of enzymes known as protein phosphatases : how these signaling molecules are controlled physiologically and how they specify changes in phosphoproteins that dictate a cell’s response to hormones, neurotransmitters and growth factors. The key driver for our research is the observation that phosphatases are deregulated in human cancers, diabetes, reproductive disorders and neurological disease. Our current studies are focused on signaling pathways activated by cell stress and more specifically the physiological role of the stress-response gene, GADD34 (Growth Arrest and DNA-Damage-inducible gene) and its associated phosphatase in deciphering how cells detect transient or acute stress, caused by nutrient deprivation, ischemia, heat shock and UV irradiation, and respond to it by controlling general protein synthesis in the mammalian cell. The specific goal of our ongoing work is to elucidate the cellular program that controls gene transcription and translation to direct the cellular decision to live or die when exposed to an unfavorable environment. Emerging evidence indicates that pharmacological inhibition of GADD34- associated phosphatase ameliorates many of the disease manifestations associated with epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, motoneuron disease and neurodegeneration. As the stress response pathways under investigation are activated in many other human diseases, our research hopes to provide vital information on the genesis of cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.

Shirish Shenolikar is currently Professor and Interim Director for the Signature Research Program in Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore (Duke-NUS). He is also Professor of Signature Research Program in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disorders and holds appointments as Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology at Duke University (USA).

Dr. Shenolikar received B.Sc. Hons in Biochemistry from University College, London and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from University of Leeds. Prior to arriving in Singapore, he was Research Fellow in Mechanistic and Target Biology (Head of Enzymology Group - Molecular Pharmacology) and Senior Director for Cardiovascular Molecular Sciences at Pfizer Global Research and Development. Dr. Shenolikar has previously held faculty positions at University of Leeds (UK), University of South Alabama School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and Duke University, where he was Vice-Chair of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

Shirish has trained nearly 100 scientists, published more than170 publications and edited several books. He has been an editor for Biochemical Journal, Molecular Endocrinology, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Series Editor for Advances in Second Messenger and Phosphoprotein Research. He was member of the NIH (Medical Biochemistry) study section and currently co-chairs of NMRC NIG panel (Singapore). He frequently reviews for National Science Foundation (USA), Veteran’s Administration (USA), Medical Research Council (UK), and several European agencies.

He has won awards for his teaching and research. He co-chaired the first FASEB Conference of Protein Phosphatases, AAAS Symposium on Protein Kinases and Phosphatases and was on the organizing committees of several International Conferences on protein phosphorylation.